Hofer proposes burka ban and Turkish passport blocks

The far-right presidential candidate has kicked off his election campaign with an interview in which he supports a ban on burkas in Austria, as well as blocking Turkey's proposed EU membership.

In an interview published on Sunday with the mass circulation Oesterreich tabloid, Norbert Hofer, the far-right Freedom Party's (FPÖ) candidate for president of Austria, outlined his position on several topics, including a proposed burka ban, similar to the one in France.

Matching a similar position to this political opponents, Hofer also supports a block on negotiation with Turkey over an EU accession. He goes further however by suggesting that if Turkey does join, or the EU doesn't reform to allow more freedom for member states, then he would support an Austrian exit from the EU institutions.